Mayor Michael Bloomberg isn't backing away from the comments he made in defense of the New York Police Department's stop-and-frisk tactics, and he took a new, direct shot at one prominent African-American critic.

Speaking to reporters before the gay pride parade this weekend, Bloomberg said that Al Sharpton should be helping the less fortunate rather than "building his own political career."

"You know, there was a time when the Rev. Sharpton did that. He got away from that, became a television star and doesn't seem to focus on the kids," said Bloomberg.

Bloomberg is not seeking re-election, has virtually unlimited money and feels strongly about his opposition to the police oversight bills that recently passed the City Council. But with the final city budget passed, Bloomberg seems to be acting out an adult form of senioritis, no longer calibrating his actions, or showing much interest in the patient work of giving cover to potential allies or finding pet causes with which to entice lawmakers to his side.

MORE ON CAPITAL

ADVERTISEMENT

In reaction to the bills passed by the Council, Bloomberg said Friday that "nobody racially profiles," and that in fact he thinks the city "disproportionately stop[s] whites too much and minorities too little."

If his comments this weekend or his unnecessarily provocative remarks about race last week are any indication, the mayor seems to have removed that filter altogether, giving up on feigned sensitivity in favor of an ill-tempered frankness that serves the reporters covering him a lot better than it serves his remaining legislative agenda.

If Bloomberg is to stop a racial-profiling bill he detests from becoming law, he'll need to find at least one Council member to switch sides on it; the bill passed with just 34 votes, the bare minimum needed on the 51-member Council to override a mayoral veto.

While Bloomberg was talking about Sharpton's declining use as a civic leader, Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson said the administration will be looking for someone amenable to their argument to join them in blocking the bill.

Quote

"[W]e’re going to recanvass as many members as we can and see what we come up with." — Howard Wolfson

Recommended

"[P]rivate polling shows that De Blasio is the only candidate to gain ground since Weiner entered the race." [Chris Smith]

A federal judge criticized the NYPD and federal agents for concocting a story to conceal the identity of a confidential informant. [Benjamin Weiser]

New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli criticized the Empire State Development Corporation's oversight of companies hired to promote the state's businesses overseas. [Thomas Kaplan]

A bill to ban the state from making confidential settlements, which Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver promised to push, failed to pass. A spokesman for Silver blamed it on the governor, the State Senate and some members in the Assembly's Democratic conference. [Ken Lovett]

As comptroller, Bill Thompson did not act on red flags about the growing cost to the city of the CityTime project. [Greg Smith]

Events

"Governor Andrew M. Cuomo is in New York City."

10 a.m. Mayor Michael Bloomberg will have a Q&A after appearing with New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan and M.T.A. Chairman and C.E.O. Thomas Prendergast to announce the start of new select bus route, at Webster Avenue at East Fordham Road, Bronx. @MikeBloomberg @NYC_DOT @MTA

2 p.m. Bloomberg presides over a bill-signing ceremony on legislation related to the city's building codes, "deactivating muni-meters when parking rules are not in effect or receipt paper is not available," waiving some inspection fees for work related to Hurricane Sandy, and renaming 52 streets and public spaces, at City Hall. @MikeBloomberg

"The rulings lent an especially celebratory air to an event that has never been known for restraint." [David Dunlap]

Civil rights attorney Norman Siegel celebrates the Fourth of July by reading the constitution at Strawberry Fields. [Clyde Haberman]

Albany

Richard Brodsky: "Cuomo's fate will largely depend on the objective state of the economy in 2016." [Times Union]

Republican state senator John Bonacic: "I have no objection to allowing medical marijuana for cancer and other patients in pain, as long as it is exclusively dispensed under a physician's prescription through pharmacies." [James Nani]

Washington

Sen. Chuck Schumer predicts the House will eventually pass the Senate's version of an immigration reform bill. [Ginger Gibson]